Electrical switching device and associated configuration and diagnostic methods

Abstract

A switching device includes two connection lands, a measurement device for measuring a first quantity of a current flowing between the two lands, a power supply system and a trigger module, the latter including a first driver module for detecting an electrical fault according to first values stored in a first memory and controlling a switching member; a communication module for receiving and storing second values in a second, non-volatile memory; and a second driver module for replacing the first values with the second values in the first memory. The first driver module compares a second quantity of the first supply current with a threshold and controls the supply of power to the second driver module if the second value is higher than or equal to the threshold.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical switching device comprising at least two connection lands, a measurement device configured for measuring a first electrical quantity of an electrical current flowing between the two connection lands, an electrical power supply system designed to deliver a first electrical power supply current, a trigger module and a switching member designed to switch between a first position electrically connecting the two connection lands and a second position wherein the two connection lands are electrically disconnected from one another, the trigger module comprising:
 a first memory for storing first values of detection parameters, 
 a first driver module configured for detecting an electrical fault as a function at least of values measured by the measurement device and of the first stored values and for generating, in response, a switching signal for the switching member, and 
 a communications module comprising a second memory which is non-volatile, the communications module being configured for receiving, via radiofrequency communications, a configuration signal containing second values of the detection parameters and for storing the second values received in the second memory, 
 wherein the trigger module further comprises a second driver module configured for replacing, in the first memory, the first values by the second values, and 
 wherein the first driver module is configured for comparing a second electrical quantity of the first electrical power supply current with a threshold and for controlling the supply of electrical power to the second driver module if the second electrical quantity is greater than or equal to the threshold, and 
 if the second electrical quantity is strictly less than the threshold, there is an absence of supply of electrical power to the second driver module and the first driver module is configured to wait for the second electrical quantity to be greater than the threshold. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first memory is a non-volatile memory. 
     
     
       3. The electrical switching device according to  claim 2 , wherein the second driver module is configured for comparing the second values stored in the second memory with at least one range of allowed values, and for substituting, in the first memory, the second values for the first values only if the second values belong to a range of allowed values. 
     
     
       4. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first driver module is configured for, following the detection of a fault, transmitting to the second driver module identification data identifying the fault detected, the second driver module being configured for writing the identification data into the second memory. 
     
     
       5. The electrical switching device according to  claim 4 , wherein the first driver module is configured for, following the detection of a fault, transmitting to the second driver module an alarm signal warning that an interruption of the electrical power supply to the second driver module will take place, the second driver module comprising a device for storing electrical energy configured for electrically supplying the second driver module starting from the reception of the alarm signal until the writing of the identification data in the second memory. 
     
     
       6. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the communications module is configured for generating, starting from the configuration signal, a second current for supplying electrical power to the communications module. 
     
     
       7. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second driver module is configured for, following the recovery of the electrical power supply to the second driver module after a period of time during which the second driver module was not electrically powered:
 consulting the second memory, and 
 if second parameter values have been stored in the second memory for the period of time during which the second driver module was not powered, replacing, in the first memory, the first values by the second values. 
 
     
     
       8. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second driver module is further configured for receiving, via a wired link, third values of the detection parameters coming from a configuration device distinct from the electrical switching device and for replacing, in the first memory and/or in the second memory, the first values and/or the second values by the received third values. 
     
     
       9. The electrical switching device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electrical power supply system comprises current transformers designed to generate the first electrical current starting from at least one electrical current flowing between the two connection lands. 
     
     
       10. An electrical switching device comprising at least two connection lands, a measurement device configured for measuring a first electrical quantity of an electrical current flowing between the two connection lands, an electrical power supply system designed to deliver a first electrical power supply current, a trigger module and a switching member designed to switch between a first position electrically connecting the two connection lands and a second position wherein the two connection lands are electrically disconnected from one another, the trigger module comprising:
 a first memory for storing first values of detection parameters, 
 a first driver module configured for detecting an electrical fault as a function at least of values measured by the measurement device and of the first stored values and for generating, in response, a switching signal for the switching member, and 
 a communications module comprising a second memory which is non-volatile, the communications module being configured for receiving, via radiofrequency communications, a configuration signal containing second values of the detection parameters and for storing the second values received in the second memory, 
 wherein the trigger module further comprises a second driver module configured for replacing, in the first memory, the first values by the second values, and 
 wherein the first driver module is configured for comparing a second electrical quantity of the first electrical power supply current with a threshold and for controlling the supply of electrical power to the second driver module if the second electrical quantity is greater than or equal to the threshold, 
 the electrical switching device further comprising a triggering device and a circuit breaker, the triggering device comprising a housing accommodating the trigger module, the circuit breaker comprising a housing accommodating the switching member, the housings of the triggering device and of the circuit breaker being distinct from one another. 
 
     
     
       11. A method for configuring a switching device comprising at least two connection lands, a measurement device configured for measuring an electrical quantity of an electrical current flowing between the two connection lands, an electrical power supply system designed to deliver a first electrical power supply current, a trigger module and a switching member designed to switch between a first position electrically connecting the two connection lands and a second position wherein the two connection lands are electrically disconnected from one another, the trigger module comprising:
 a first memory wherein first values of detection parameters are stored, 
 a first driver module configured for detecting an electrical fault as a function at least of values measured by the measurement device and of the first stored values and for generating, in response, a switching signal for the switching member, 
 a communications module comprising a second memory which is non-volatile, and 
 a second driver module, 
 the method comprising steps of: 
 receiving second values of the detection parameters, via radiofrequency communications, by the communications module, 
 storing the second values in the second memory, 
 comparing, by the first driver module, a second electrical quantity of the first electrical power supply current with a threshold, and 
 if the second electrical quantity is greater than or equal to the threshold, controlling, by the first driver module, the supply of electrical power to the second driver module and replacing, in the first memory, by the second driver module, the first values by the second values, 
 wherein, if the second electrical quantity is strictly less than the threshold, there is an absence of supply of electrical power to the second driver module and the first driver module waits for the second electrical quantity to be greater than the threshold. 
 
     
     
       12. The configuration method according to  claim 11 , further comprising steps of:
 receiving, by the second driver module, via a wired link third values of the detection parameters, 
 replacing, in the second memory, the second values by the third values, and 
 replacing, in the first memory the first values by the third values. 
 
     
     
       13. The configuration method according to  claim 11 , further comprising a step of comparing, by the second driver module, the second values stored in the second memory with at least one range of allowed values, the step of replacing, in the first memory, by the second driver module, the first values by the second values being implemented only if the second values belong to a range of allowed values. 
     
     
       14. The method for diagnosing the nature of an electrical fault, comprising steps of:
 implementing a configuration method according to  claim 11 , 
 detecting, by the first driver module, an electrical fault, 
 controlling, by the first driver module an interruption, by the switching member, of the electrical current flowing between the two connection lands, 
 generating, by the first driver module, identification data identifying the electrical fault, 
 transmitting the identification data to the second driver module, and 
 writing, into the second memory, the identification data, and 
 emitting, by the communications module, a radiofrequency identification signal comprising the identification data. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for diagnosing the nature of an electrical fault according to  claim 14 , further comprising a step of emitting, by a mobile device, a radiofrequency signal causing the generation, by an antenna of the communications module, an electrical power supply current for the communications module. 
     
     
       16. The method for diagnosing the nature of an electrical fault according to  claim 14 , wherein the second driver module is electrically powered, during the steps for the interruption, for transmitting the identification data and for writing, by an electrical current generated by a device for storing electrical energy.